Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Chapter 145

Richard

pov.

The parenting workshop was held in a cozy community center, the kind of place that smelled faintly of crayons and coffee.

The walls were plastered with cheerful posters about child safety and breastfeeding tips, which I pretended to read while we waited for the session to begin.

My hands fidgeted with the pamphlet they'd handed us at the door. It had a smiling cartoon baby on the cover and the words Parenting: You've Got This! in bold, bubbly letters. Somehow, I wasn't convinced. Sarah sat beside me, flipping through the same pamphlet, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Did you know that swaddling can reduce colic?" she asked, nudging me with her elbow.

"Nope," I said, glancing sideways at her. "But I guess we're about to become swaddling experts, huh?"

She laughed, a sound I hadn't heard enough of in the last few days. Ever since Marina had left, Sarah had been quieter, more introspective.

I could tell she was still processing everything, but we'd both been too drained to talk about it much.

The workshop leader, a woman named Jill, introduced herself at the front of the room. She was lively and energetic, wearing a bright yellow sweater that made her seem like the human embodiment of sunshine. "Welcome, everyone!" she chirped. "Today, we're going to focus on practical skills for new parents-things like diapering, soothing techniques, and building emotional resilience as a team."

I glanced around the room. Most of the couples looked just as nervous as I felt, their wide eyes darting between Jill and the tables of baby dolls set up for practice. Sarah, on the other hand, looked calm. Determined, even. The first exercise was diaper changing. Easy enough in theory, but I quickly realized that baby dolls were slipperier than they looked.

My hands fumbled with the tiny diaper tabs, and I muttered under my breath as I tried to secure them.

"Need some help?" Sarah asked, her tone light but teasing.

"I've got it," I muttered, though my doll's diaper was lopsided at best.

Sarah's hands were steady as she adjusted the doll's legs and expertly fastened the diaper in place. "See? Not so bad once you get the hang of it."

at my crooked attempt.

get there. This is why

involved holding and soothing the baby. Jill demonstrated different techniques: the

gently as Jill had shown

me, its plastic head wobbling dangerously every time I

holding it like a football," Sarah whispered,

what she called it? The football

literally like a football," she said, adjusting my hands with

relaxed

she said, and the pride in her voice made me

"Becoming a parent is one of the biggest emotional shifts you'll

feel scared, overwhelmed, or even unsure if you're ready. The important thing is to communicate with each other and remember

felt a knot tighten in my stomach. Unsure if I'm

write down one fear we had about becoming

pen moving smoothly across

my biggest fear? That I wouldn't be good enough? That I'd mess this up? That I'd let Sarah and our

scribbled something vague: Not

Sarah's response took me by surprise. She'd written: Not being patient enough

her, my throat tight. "You? Not patient enough? Sarah, you're one of the most

her lips. "I have my moments. But this is all new to me too, you know? I don't always

off guard. I'd spent so much time worrying about my own insecurities, that I hadn't stopped

ended, I was exhausted-not just

looped her arm

great in there," she said, glancing

Did you see

admitted, laughing. "But you were trying. And that's what